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Hanging Outdoor Christmas Lights Without Drilling Holes in Concrete Stucco

It’s not Christmas without a twinkling display of lights around your house. Make the task of hanging outdoor lights easier with clips, hooks and adhesives designed for the job. This is especially useful when you can’t or don’t want to drill holes in stucco, brick or stone. Light clips and outdoor adhesives are available at home improvement stores. Once you’ve installed the clips you can use them over and over again in the years to come, so next year’s light-hanging job will go even faster.

Attaching Light Strings with Clips

Measure the perimeter you want to decorate with lights, such as your home’s roof line, porch overhang or around window frames. Purchase enough light strings to comfortably cover this distance. Take into account the color pattern you plan to display, such as using only one color, alternating two colors or randomly mixing colors.

Purchase a sufficient number of clips to cover this distance with one clip every 6 to 8 inches, depending on the type of lights you will be using. Bulb-type lights, known as C7 or C9 bulbs, use larger clips than mini-lights or icicle lights.

Secure the clips, using outdoor adhesive, along the perimeter to be decorated. Follow product directions for applying the adhesive and allow sufficient time for the adhesive to cure.

Test your light string to make sure there are no missing or burned-out bulbs. You can do this indoors by plugging the lights into an electric outlet. Replace bulbs as needed, then unplug the lights and take them outside.
Arrange the lights along the line of clips, placing the cord in each clip as you go.

Plug the light string into an outdoor outlet, using an extension cord if needed.

Attaching Light Strings with a Hot Glue Gun

Measure the distance needed and unroll the light string. Check to make sure there are no missing or burned-out bulbs, and replace them if needed.

Apply a line of hot glue along the side of the first bulb socket. Hold the glued side of the socket against the wall or overhang and keep it in place for several seconds to allow the glue to cool and set.
Continue until all of the bulb sockets are glued in the desired positions. Use an outdoor extension cord so you can take the hot glue gun up on the ladder with you.

Plug the light string into an outdoor socket. If you use the type of cord that you cut to your measure, apply a male socket to one end and a female socket to the other end before you do this.

Source: homeguides.sfgate.com

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